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About this project

Loud music and other extreme noise environments can lead to tinnitus and other forms of hearing loss. It effects more than 250,000,000 world-wide.

StyleBudz wants to play an important role in hearing health, by bringing a fashionable necklace to market that does away with all of the reasons people may not be wearing hearing protection. No more worrying about not looking cool, forgetting them at home, having them covered in lint when you remove them from your pockets, and covered in embarrassing earwax for all to see.

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Multiple Colors and Custom Designs Available

With our newly-added Designer Stylebudz option, each piece is custom-designed so you can personalize your StyleBudz any way you like: add your favorite band’s name, your club/company logo, or favorite saying. Pattern designs can include camo, flames, lightning, and much more! And each piece has a protective coating to ensure it will last for years. Turn your StyleBudz into a custom work of art. Show off your style at work…be the envy of your local gun club…turn heads at your next concert!

Designer Stylebudz

Perfect for

Motorcyclists

Gun/hunting enthusiasts

Racing enthusiasts

Rock bands/concert goers

Metal workers/casters

Machine operators

Cubicle staff

Frequent flyers

Share Your Support!

We understand you may not be in a position to help us out with a contribution. That's why we've set aside 5 LIMITED EDITION StyleBudz for those of you who get the message out the loudest!

Use the Social Buttons on this campaign to spread the word and one of these could be yours! Use the Share at the top of the page to spread the word about this campaign.

Risks and challenges

The sole barrier for StyleBudz moving forward is the initial expense and process of submitting the engineered file to the manufacture and having a prototype made through a vacuumed sealed process. This process ensures that the pieces fit together correctly and are that the best choice in material is made. In the event that the pieces do not fit together as expected than an additional two weeks would be added to the delivery time so that additional alterations can be made. This process would then be repeated, however a great deal of preparation, precision measurement and expertise has already gone into the current design to ensure proper fit so this risk as been significantly reduced.

FAQ

StyleBudz is a necklace meant for everyday use that keeps your hearing protection concealed and yet ready to use at any moment. The current model being offered with this campaign is 3M’s E-A-R Ultra Fit. 3M™ E-A-R™ UltraFit earplugs have a 25 dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR 25 dB) and meet ANSI S3.19-1974. CSA Z94.2 hearing protection standards. The 3M™ E-A-R™ Ultrafit earplugs are washable, reusable, non- toxic and non-allergenic. They are one size fits all.

The second cord that attaches to the ear plugs is easily removed and is purely a personal preference. People have reportedly enjoyed the ability to not have to secure the earplug in the necklace every time they are removed.

StyleBudz has received a lot of positive feedback from parents and teachers in regards to making a product that their children are more likely to wear consistently and that are not easy to lose. However, StyleBudz does contain small parts and can be a choking hazard for small children. The child's occupational therapist can help you decide if StyleBudz are a good option.

Wearing a necklace in a work place environment with heavy machines or other potential hazards that a necklace can become tangled in can be a serious safety risk. Bar and concert security workers have also reported concerns. As a result StyleBudz has offered a version that removes the risk by utilizing a strong high quality magnetic clasp. This is the only difference between the two perks. Unfortunately, a high quality magnetic clasp adds a marginal extra expense to the product.

In the success the campaign is successful, each backer will be contacted after the end of the campaign and asked if they would like black, pink or white? A survey will also be sent to determine what other colors backers would like to see. In the event this survey is returned with another color getting enough interest than this may also be added as an option.

The white version was for prototype purposes so that a number of different materials could be tested to find the best properties possible. During this process it was suggested that a white version still be offered so that people could personalize their pieces, as they make a great paint medium for those willing to give it a go. Or better, yet take them to your local artist or mall airbrush shop and make a one of a kind master piece. Teams or clubs have particularly expressed a desire for a white version that they can have their custom colors and logos added too.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

A 1 hour Skype call with the inventor of StyleBudz to talk openly about the past, present and future of the product. How was it thought of? What has been done so far? What are the plans for the future? A candid and open discussion, with no question going unanswered.